Please say something
by Yumyummeow
Summary: When there seems to be no relief from the tedium that has become their lives, what will they do? Boredom is not simply another name for depression or apathy, but a lack of stimulation that leaves one craving for more. With that in mind what kind of stimulation will they find?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic. This is purely for fun.

Chapter 1

The dying light of the day and the soft stirrings from the creatures of the evening were the only signs of reprieve that the small group would have. It had been another one of those days for the wayward team of misfits. The heat had been unbearable this summer. Kagome took the time to take in her surroundings as she sat against one of the trees in the clearing they currently occupied. She sighed internally. It had been over a year since she had returned and she found that she wasn't as content as she thought she would have been with her arrival.

During her three year absence, after defeating Naraku, she had wanted nothing but to return. She was viciously torn away from those that she loved and she severely missed her kit. Inuyasha had long since lost the appeal as a lover and their relationship was of a brother and sister. She couldn't deny that she was happy with her choice, and she would never say that she regretted it, but still she felt as though something was missing.

"Oi, wench stop staring off into space like that and start making dinner." The gruff hanyou stated. She had been with him long enough to know that this was his way of showing concern. She huffed, " How many times are we going to go through this Inuyasha, stop calling me that." But in all honesty there was little bite to her protest. Years with the Half-demon had tempered her fight against him when he called her names and she knew that he didn't mean it.

She stood up from her spot as the rest were settling down into the camp. She stretched her arms over her head and proceeded to gather her bow and arrows and made her way towards the forest. She was grateful for Inuyasha's not so subtle way of getting her out of the clearing. She knew that the group could feel it when something was amiss and she didn't feel like addressing it at this time.

The group collectively sighed as Kagome moved further away from camp. "Inuyasha, do you know what's been bothering Lady Kagome?" The lecherous monk had always been quite perceptive. Inuyasha lowered his ears as he let the words sink in. There was something wrong within his pack and he didn't know how to fix it. He was the Alpha and it was his responsibility to take care of his pack, but still he didn't know how to fix what ails her. Uncharacteristically, he responded in a vague way, "She lacks purpose." Miroku stared at him. This was an odd day indeed.

" What do you mean? We have been going on much the same way as we have always been, traveling and aiding those in need. She doesn't seem any different then she was before, maybe a bit more reserved, but still the same." It was Sango's turn to chime in. Sometimes the slayer could be a bit dense. Inuyasha snorted. How does he explain something that was instinct driven. He knew that while kagome didn't outwardly show it, and that she was still the same at her core, she was missing something. So he said just that.

" So you're saying she is missing something, but what could it be?" The group sat there for awhile contemplating Kagome's dilema. They loved their friend very much and she was the heart of their little rag tag group. They wanted very much to help her, but they too were at a loss for what to do.

Meanwhile, with Kagome, she had settled into a spot and waited for her prey. She had started tracking the doe as soon as she felt its presence. She found her mind wandering back to the time when she was in the future. While she had been there she focused on her school work and on her training. She went to a shrine and found a group of Sohei that still practiced the old ways. These warrior monks somehow continued to hold onto their spiritual powers even though there was little to no magic left in her world. She soon learned why after that. Apparently the world had been split into three realms. The Nigenkai, Makai, and Reikai.

She held her breath as she waited for the doe to appear, her bow ready and poised. With reflexes that had been honed over the years she let loose the arrow. It hit the mark and the poor animal fell to the ground thrashing about in pain and panic. She walked up to the creature, much as any predator would. She couldn't explain it, but she couldn't deny the way she felt when she hunted. There was something so primal about it as she slid the blade from her hidden sheath into the creatures carotid artery. The life giving blood of the creature effectively painting her hands. She languished in the warmth and a feeling so sublime passed through her spirit. She raised her hand to her mouth and tasted the essence. She thanked the animal and promised that its sacrifice would not be in vain. She felt the essence of water near her and proceeded to haul her kill over so she could clean it and skin it.

Going back to her thoughts of her original timeline she had been quite surprised to find out about the separation of the realms. She was almost overwhelmed when after her first year of training was complete she was spirited away to the Makai. After hours of fighting and surviving in the harsh realm she again found herself ripped from the world of demons and back into the one of humans. This, her sensei had explained, was her rite of passage. So for the next two years she sharpened her skills and would venture into the makai to train. She found that whenever she had a spare chance she would run off to Makai. There was a comfort found there that she couldn't get when in the monotonous world of humans. It pained her when the realization hit that she was no longer content within her realm. Her heart withered when this occurred. It was a couple of days later that the portal opened and she was granted access to the past once more. She packed her belongings in a bag that was made for long excursions in the wilderness. She knew her mother knew. Her mom always felt that her destiny was to be in the past. They had long conversations about it. She remembered her last night with her family.

She had walked down the stairs after everything she could think of was stuffed into the bag. She packed several of her medical books as well as books on the history of the time and advanced mathematics. Even if going to the past wasn't going to be permanent she didn't want to forfeit the knowledge from her future. She remembered sitting down that evening and telling her family of her plans. They were upset of course, but also resigned. They knew that once Kagome put her mind to something, there was no changing it. They also knew that she wasn't happy here. How could they deny her this opportunity, when she had the chance to go back. They knew her time wasn't here with them. They hugged each other and spoke late into the night. They would cherish these moments. It was all that they would have or so they thought. Little did Kagome know that they would have an unexpected guest soon after.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own the characters.

Chapter 2

Sesshomaru listened to his councilmen drole on and on about court affairs. He knew very well what his responsibilities were as Daiyoukai of the West. The endless paperwork and meetings. Though he found all of this quite tedious. "Sesshomaru-sama, please we need your decision as soon as possible with this matter. The humans grow restless in the northern sectors of your domain." He glared at the councilman who spoke. The youkai immediately shrunk back.

The mediocrity of it all disturbed him. He found himself missing the times where he would travel the lands with the annoying imp and his ward. Those times were much simpler and more enjoyable. Now, he was inundated with the useless affairs of his "people." He would have kept wandering, if his sense of pride didn't come into play. These were his lands by right and none could say otherwise.

At times like this he felt utterly and completely consumed with his boredom. He missed the thrill of the hunt and the opportunity to face a challenge, but the reality was that there was no one left to challenge him. " The humans in the northern district will have to deal with their inability to raise cattle and harvest. We have sent them all of our spare grain and harvest stock." His councilman balked, "-but my lord, it's not just the northern district, it's also affected the southern and eastern district as well. A blight of some kind has fallen on the livestock and harvest in all of these areas." He growled. " Then find the root cause and deal with it. Why do you continue to talk about these matters. Find a solution." His councilmen stood and bowed hurriedly. They rushed from the room eager to be free from his overwhelming presence.

He took this rare moment and relaxed into his chair. He sighed and felt the weight of the upcoming burdens on his domain. This wasn't the first time that the lands had experienced a blight, but it had been quite some time. His people were, for the most part, content, but a food shortage was nothing they were prepared for. He could ask the neighboring lords for assistance, but that was always his last recourse. He was not so foolish as to think he would be able to handle this issue alone, but he would not show weakness.

He lifted himself from his chair with his usual inhuman grace. The evening light was dancing on the horizon. He felt it would be a good thing to stretch his legs for a bit and go on one of his routine patrols. " Jaken." The imp came scuttling in. " Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." The toad squawked. " Make sure Rin is fed and bathed properly. I do not want her to stay up late again. She has her studies in the morning, make sure she is up. I will be leaving." Jaken gave a quick bow, " Of course, my Lord." He left the same way he had come. With that taken care of, Sesshomaru lept from the window in his study.

His youki took form and he floated across the twilight sky. He traveled like this for quite some time. He took in his surroundings and reached out with his demonic energy feeling for any kind of threat, finding none, he headed towards a clearing in the woods and began walking aimlessly. He caught the scent of blood and began making his way towards the fresh kill. It was rare to find someone hunting on his lands. He came to a stop, when he caught sight of a slight figure hunched over the dead doe.

Sesshomaru hadn't realized that he had been staring at the figure for quite some time now. He was surprised to find that the figure was of a woman. She was wearing what looked like the garbs of a priestess, but the Hakama were a deep navy blue. He was wondering why he hadn't sensed her presence, but then he caught a glimpse of her face. It was the woman that followed his brother around. He soon grew apathetic to the situation.

He saw his brother's female pull the knife from the doe's neck and also watched as she seemed enraptured in the kill. Needless to say, he was even more surprised when she brought her hands up to her lips and proceeded to clean her fingers of the red liquid. He lifted one of his finely arched eyebrows. The wench had always been an oddity. He noted that at least she was no longer wearing that strange kimono that left nothing to the imagination. He was intrigued, but there was something odd about this whole situation. He listened as she gave thanks to the dead creature.

He continued to watch as the small woman lifted her kill easily over her shoulder and made her way through the trees to the stream that was nearby. He watched as she cleaned the carcass and prepared it to haul back to her camp. After she was done, she washed her hands and cleaned her tools. She had bundled the meat up in a cloth and began making her way back to the camp.

He watched as she paused and looked right at him. He stiffened slightly. Did she know he was there? He watched as she shrugged her shoulders and felt as if he had been thoroughly dismissed. This caused his hackles to rise. How dare she! Before she was completely out of the clearing he found himself moving and in front of her in an instant.

She didn't seem too perturbed about the whole ordeal and seemed to be expecting this type of reaction. She looked at him cooly. " Yes, can I help you Sesshoumaru?" He glared at her. "There is nothing that you could do to help this Sesshomaru, human." One of her eyebrows rose. She snorted. "Then what pray tell do you want? Why did you stop 'this Kagome?' She stated sarcastically. He glared at her. His arm flashed forward with the full intention of wrapping his hand around her impudent throat, but was shocked when she somehow ended up behind him. She was walking away when she began to speak. "My, my Sesshomaru, that was very rude. I didn't think you would be so temperamental." She seemed to revel in his shock.

When had that wench moved? He turned around. This lowly human easily evaded him. He watched as she sauntered away without a care in the world. He stared at his hand. Maybe, just maybe, he had found something to quell the overwhelming boredom he had been feeling for quite some time now.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine and never will be, just the plot.

A/N: I have a vague idea of where I want this story to go, but I have nothing concrete at the moment. As I write, I am open to suggestions so feel free to leave some.

Chapter 3

Kagome made her way back to the camp feeling her smugness at her little 'victory' over the pompous dog demon. She smirked when she felt his faltering presence. No doubt the demon lord was fuming and maybe a bit confused. It had been over a year since she had last seen him. She wondered if Rin still followed him around. She again shrugged her shoulders. It didn't really matter at this point, she guessed. Her thoughts returned to the stoic lord. It was always entertaining when her opponents would underestimate her. Whenever a battle would occur, they would immediately target her thinking she was the weakest link. How wrong they were. Her smile at the memories became a bit fervent. She shook herself. She really needed to stop doing that. Her lips slowly tilted downwards. It was at times like this that she didn't understand what was going on with her. She didn't think that it was healthy for her to feel whatever it was she was feeling. She paused and took a deep breath. She would have to store it away for another time to mull over.

She broke through the last bit of vegetation and walked into the camp, calm and composed. She couldn't very well let the others know where her thoughts had been. She didn't think they would understand, but then she looked at Inuyasha. A knowing look in his gaze. She smiled, well maybe someone did. "Welcome back, Lady Kagome. Good hunting?" She nodded to the monk and began preparing the meal. She pulled various spices from her weathered pack and began her ritual. As she skewered the meat and set them over the fire, she searched for her kit. She found him snoring, leaning up against one of the many trees, as he rested with Kirara. She gave a soft smile at the two. He had grown a bit and looked to be about the same age as Souta had when she began her journey initially.

Her thoughts, again, went back to when she returned to this era. Her reunion with the others had been a joyous occasion, but the experience she had with her kit left her with a sense of wholeness that she had never felt before and hadn't felt since. Things had pretty much fallen back into a comfortable routine. They traveled across the country dealing with the many issues that the human villages would face and even some demon villages.

That had been an interesting experience. Her lips turned upwards. She remembered the first time she really let loose in front of her family. It was 6 months ago. They were utterly flabbergasted and a bit disturbed. She winced a bit at the recollection. In the beginning of their travels, she had let the others take care of any threat and mainly stayed back as support as she had always done, but then they faced a demon that completely threw them for a loop. It was cunning and manipulative in its tactics. The demon had come in the guise of a priest clothed in blue. He seemed friendly at first and invited them into his dwelling. The group had been traveling for many hours and welcomed the chance to rest.

After being lulled into a sense of relative safety, he launched his attack. The bozu was surprisingly strong and had a clear goal in his mind. He was relentless in his pursuit for his intended target. The group faltered when it became clear who it was after. The group had believed he was targeting Kagome as usual, but it became clear as his efforts turned towards the young kit. There was a deranged look on the priest's face as he eyed Shippo. "My, my, my what a dear little thing you are." The demon licked its lips in anticipation. Shippo shook with unknown terror. "You are loved so well...I wonder...how will you receive my love?" The sickening implication behind the statement made the group collectively gasp. "Hey you bastard! Stay away from Shippo!" Inuyasha snarled. He had been incapacitated along with the rest of the fighters. The only ones left standing were the three 'weakest' members of the group. Kagome turned her rounded eyes onto the demon before her. She kept her eyes steady as she looked at the thing in front of her.

"Kirara, take Shippo, and take him far. Take him as far from here as you can, I don't want him exposed to this any longer." Her voice was strong with authority and the fire cat did not hesitate when the order was given. Inuyasha may be Alpha material, but she knew who her true Alpha was. She transformed into her fiery form and broke through the wall of the little shack they occupied. "Kagome! What are you doing?! Get out of the way!" The desperate call of the hanyou reached deaf ears. The priest gave a cackle as his arm slithered forward towards the retreating figures. Not even considering the young woman in front of him as a threat. That was his biggest mistake. In the next moment, he was screaming clutching at his burning limb with the residual power of Kagome's saikai. The silence that came over the group asphyxiated those that were present.

They watched on in morbid curiosity as their small friend looked at the youkai with a look that none had ever seen before on her face. The twisted smile feigned innocence. "Yes...yes." the giggle that escaped her made her group members shudder at the unnatural way it sounded coming from their little miko. "Lady Kagome...are you...are you alright?" She never turned towards the voice. Her words were crisp and clear. "I am fine, Miroku. I am going to show this creature here my love...I wonder...I wonder, blue priest...how will you receive it?" The demon snarled. "Bitch! You will pay for what you-" He didn't get to finish his rant as his left leg was severed from his body. His scream was music to Kagome's ear.

"Now, now, now...is that any way to speak to your lover?" Her smile was wicked, and it was cruel. "Or maybe I'm not your type...ne? But that's ok...you'll learn to love me. I'm sure of it." Her voice took on a seductive lilt. Her dark promises echoing in the worn-down hovel. She walked up to the demon that was bleeding and burning all at once. He made a swipe at her with his remaining hand. That limb was lost as well. The creature was sobbing at this point. The burning sensation from her purification would not abate. He was waiting for it to consume him, but the beast in front of him was prolonging the torture. "Please...Please no more." Kagome huffed and gave a little pout. She reached her hand out and the creature flinched from the contact as she caressed its face in a pantomime of comfort. "But we are just getting started...I haven't even begun to show you how much I can love you." She whispered longingly into his ear.

The next moments were filled with the creatures agonizing shrieks. She was thorough as she worked over the creature letting him feel every bit of 'love' that she had. It wasn't until she heard her best friend whisper her name that she paused. She looked at her work satisfied. She stood tall and faced her palm towards the remains of the mangled corpse beneath her. She made sure there was nothing left and turned towards her companions. She sighed as she realized her blunder, but it wasn't her fault! This pathetic excuse for a demon thought that it was going to get away with its disgusting plans for her kit.

"Kagome...what was that?" It was Sango that stepped forward this time. The men seemed perfectly fine letting the demon slayer take over. What she had done to this male demon would be forever burned into their minds. Kagome let her calm demeanor wash over the group. "I only got rid of this nuisance, Sango." She looked at her sister and saw the questions in her eyes. "You know that's not what I mean. That power, we have never felt anything like that, and the way….the way you 'got rid' of that demon. That was sick." The small miko's eyes narrowed at her friend, but then softened immediately.

What did Kagome expect? Her friends had never seen her in this state and she had been holding herself back for some time. She hadn't been able to hunt properly and when this opportunity presented itself, she couldn't hold back. "How long?" She looked towards Inuyasha her eyes wide. "How long…?" She trailed off. "How long has it been since you let this excess power out?" She was surprised. Out of all of her companions she didn't think Inuyasha would have been the one to understand her situation so quickly, but then again, he was a demon, and of the dog variety as well.

she grunted, of course, he would understand the primal needs of a restless hunter. "Long enough." Miroku took this opportunity to speak up. "I believe that there is a story attached to this development of yours." He looked at the miko in front of him expectantly. He wanted to know when she had met Sohei, the very same sect of monks he had trained under. Kagome let out an exacerbated breath. She knew she wasn't going to get out of this one. So, she explained everything that had transpired when she went back to her time.

"Why did you hide this for so long Kagome...did you...could you not trust us with this?" The demon slayer asked forlornly. This was what she didn't want to happen. She looked into the faces of her family. "It wasn't that...there just wasn't an opportunity to bring it up." She paused for a moment. "What I mean, is that there hasn't been a reason for me to show my powers. I know you guys are perfectly capable and...and I also didn't want…" She gritted her teeth trying to find the words. "-I didn't want you guys to think of me any differently. I'm still me, I'm still Kagome, but I figured that once I let this side of myself come out, your image of me would change." Maybe she should have said something as she looked at each member of her group. Panic began to grip her as she wondered if they would ask her to leave. Would they throw her aside?

Her fear lessened when Inuyasha gave a derisive snort. "Well at least now you'll be able to pull your own weight wench." The tension felt only moments ago dissipated instantly. "Why you! How many times do I have to tell you to use my name baka?!" Everyone began to chuckle then. They left the dilapidated hut and found Shippo and Kirara soon after. He ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her torso, his head coming up to her sternum. "Ma, are you ok. We felt this tremendous amount of power after we were a couple of miles away. What happened?" She looked into the eyes of her little boy. Well, he wasn't that little anymore, but she wouldn't let him know that she thought that. She sighed, content. This little fox was home. She gave Kirara a soft pat on the head and a warm thank you. The fire-cat mewled her delight at the affection.

She gave a cleaner version of what had happened and explained that while she had been away, she had been training. The kit looked at his mother with a new sense of pride. He gave her a toothy grin. "Wow Ma! That was you who let out all that power?! You're amazing! Can you show me some things? Pretty please." He gave her his best version of the puppy dog stare. She gave a hearty laugh. "I'll think about it." She winked at him. The group set off and they soon fell into a new routine after that. Before Shippo could train with his mother, he had to train with Inuyasha first and hone his youkai nature. He would then train with Miroku and Sango and then Kagome would give him lessons in reading and writing. He pouted at first, he had wanted some flashier training from his mother, but soon came to enjoy the many lessons. Kagome was then given the duty of hunting and preparing dinner and that quelled her thirst for the time being. That's pretty much how things progressed to where they are at now.

She looked around the clearing at her surrogate kinsfolk, contemplating the emptiness she was beginning to feel. She was developing a hatred towards the complacency she was coming up against. It made her weary. She turned the skewered meat over the fire pit. Her mouth watered at the smell. She sat there mulling over her conflicted emotions, but then she found herself thinking of the stoic demon from earlier. She thought about what she knew of the dog and again found herself chortling over their brief encounter from earlier. It left her feeling exhilarated. She couldn't lie. She reveled in the shock of that particular youkai.

When was the last time he had been so thrown off? Needless to say, it amused her immensely. She then began to wonder what it would be like to spar against him. He was by far the strongest youkai she had ever met. She wondered how she would fair. Maybe...maybe she would see the next time their paths crossed.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in the story. Period.

Chapter 4

Sesshomaru peered through the window of his study. The scrolls and missives piled on his desk giving him a feeling akin to claustrophobia. The blight affecting his lands was spreading and his councilmen still couldn't find the cause nor a solution. It had also been over two weeks now since his encounter with his brother's wench. His lip lifted up in a slight snarl. He couldn't believe she had evaded him so easily and it continued to plague him. The attendants were conspicuously staying clear of their master as well. They could tell that he was not in a good mood. Even Rin had taken notice. His breathing was slightly irritated. His thoughts soon returned to the priestess. Where had she learned such an evasion technique?!

He recalled all the other times he encountered the wench. She was never really at the forefront of his mind when he would come across the half-breed. He vaguely remembered that she was sufficient with the bow, but for the most part she stayed in the background. She was never an active fighter within the whelps pack. So, this begs the question, when had she learned or had she been holding herself back?

He had picked apart the night he had come across her. The attention and captivation she had with her kill. The appreciation of the life that was taken. The way she had cleaned her hands of the blood enjoying its life giving essence and the practiced ease with which she cleaned the doe. He gave a slight noise of recognition. The pride of a hunter, he was all too familiar with. He could also sense the need that was there as well.

It confused him. How could a human appreciate the hunt? They could not smell the sweet fear nor the panic. They could not hear the thrum of the prey's heartbeat as they searched for a way to escape. They could not savor the exquisite taste of fresh blood from a creature whose veins were saturated with adrenaline. He began to feel the stirrings of his baser self. Even this, they would never experience. A beast hidden within. A carnal need that nothing could satiate until the hunt was complete. Yet, that was what he had witnessed. A hunter in their purest form. The goal achieved and a beast gratified.

There was no possible way that she could feel what he felt when hunting. It would mean that she was more than what she seemed and this couldn't be. She was nothing but a lowly human, but still he found his thoughts centered on the woman. This irked him and caused a frustration that he wasn't accustomed to.

Pushing his thoughts of the unorthodox woman aside, he began thinking about the inexplicable blight that tarnished his lands. There were already whispers throughout the courts at his ineptitude to solve this problem. He could already feel the beginnings of a headache. It had been about a month now since it started and within that month they were still no closer to finding a way to combat it.

From the notes he had acquired,the plants would be affected first. Lesions would appear on the leafy tissue and rapidly engulf the surrounding tissue. The lesions would then expand and kill the entire plant. What was different about this blight though, was the fact that the plant exhibited a strange coloring that hasn't been seen before. Instead of normal browning, the plant would become a sickly purple color. The livestock would then consume the plants and become sick as well. After consumption the beast would succumb to sickness and die.

Sesshomaru had all of his top advisers on this issue. They had talked with many farmers and priestesses that practiced with herbs in the region and still nothing could be done with this rot. While Sesshomaru was lost in thought there was a light tapping at his door. "Enter." He looked up from the many papers adorning his work space. "My Lord, don't you think it's time for a bit of a reprieve? You have been in here for several days now." He snorted at his Chief councilman. The dog demon in front of him was of a shrewd nature and didn't have much of a presence, but he was cunning, and he was loyal. "Izumi, I will rest when this issue has been resolved. Now, tell me you didn't interrupt me in order to chastise my lack of self-care." Izumi only nodded and gave the Lord in front of him one of his sly smiles. Sesshomaru glared at the insufferable dog. Izumi only laughed.

"Ai, ai my Lord, you know I only have your best interest at heart. Being stuck in this stuffy room isn't going to solve anything." Sesshomaru released his rigid posture, but only slightly. "I know, Izumi, but it is all that I can do for now." The old adviser looked on as his young Lord continued to look through the missives. "Have you thought about reaching out to the other Lords?" Again, the stiffness that permeates his being returned. "I have taken it into consideration, but from what the spies have reported, they too are facing the same issues as we are. What point is there then to ask for their aid, when they are in the same dire straits."

Izumi sighed at this. "Even if that is so, it would still be in our best interest to aid each other. We would be able to tackle this from multiple perspectives." Sesshomaru began to growl. "You assume too much, Izumi. You may be my Chief Councilman and you may have my favor for now, but that can always change. Do not try my patience." The old councilman only barked out his delight. "My Lord, you know that what I say is true. You let your pride and ego get in the way. Though, I am but your humble servant. Besides, why would you want councilmen that were too afraid to speak their mind in your presence?" He slipped from the room as Sesshomaru lashed out with his poison whip.

The laughter of the old fool grating on Sesshomaru's nerves. He knew that his councilman was right, but he did not want to concede and be the first to ask for aid. The pounding behind his eyes reared its ugly head. He was about to get back to the insurmountable amount of scrolls on his desk, when at that moment Rin broke through his door. His eyes widen slightly as he looks at his young ward. She was panting for breath trying to get her words out. "Rin, calm yourself. What has occurred to have you in such a state?" She flings herself towards the demon lord. "Sesshomaru-sama, please, please help! It A-Un. I don't know what's wrong, but they are not well. Please help them." The young girl was in tears at this point. He felt something similar to dread seep into his bones.

He stood and placed his hand atop the young girl's head. "Calm yourself, Rin. I will see to it." She breathed a sigh of relief. She grabbed his hand and proceeded to drag the demon Lord to the stables. The closer they got the lighter he felt. He guessed this was what others spoke of as an out of body experience. The first thing he noticed was the scent of death. All at once, everything was in focus. The stableman was tending to the downed dragon. He was fussing over the creature.

Sesshomaru noted the labored breathing of the beast. Its breath was raspy and it sounded painful. The pitiful creature let out a keening sound each time it was touched. He heard all of this, but what disconcerted him the most was the discoloring on the two-headed dragon. The scales on the demon were peeling off and underneath was a sickly iridescent purple.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the wait, with the world going crazy, It's been hard getting into the right mindset to write. Also, I do not own the characters in this story.

The stench of the burning corpses left an acrid taste in the mouth. This was the fifth village that the group had stumbled upon that had succumbed to the odd blight that affected the crops and livestock. Each village that the group came upon, Kagome would try her best to fight against the strange rot and give knowledge where she could to stop the spread. She took into account what she knew from her time and what she remembered work. They didn't have access to the pesticides and without knowing the exact nature of the infestation there was very little she could do. She did find it odd that this particular blight was something she had never heard of. While she was in the future she did take the time to study agriculture and herbology. She could pretty much identify all of the plants and which worked well as certain remedies. She was also familiar with what killed the plants and what it signified. This made it all the more vexing when she couldn't identify what this was. She had been contemplating this dilemma since she initially came across it in the first village.

The reports from the villagers were all the same. The plants would be affected first, then the livestock. The village they currently occupied, though, was primarily demonic. A peaceful little village of tanuki. The difference with this village, was the fact that the villagers were succumbing to a strange sickness as well. Nearly half of the village was decimated. Her group stumbled upon them and were initially met with hostility, but Kagome was always very good at diffusing a bad situation. After some coercing and convincing that they were only there to help, the leader stepped up and told them of what occured.

She immediately began working towards a cure or at least something that would halt the illness. It was painful to look at. The skin on the patients would begin to peel off and the muscle underneath was a sickly purple. She wasn't a stranger to demon anatomy and knew that this was far from being normal. A demon's healing abilities should have kicked in. She was hovering over one of the younger tanuki's at this time trying to provide comfort. The mother and father were outside of the hut and her heart went out to them as she heard the mothers soft sobbing. She chewed on her bottom lip as she continued to clean the sweat off of the young demon.

She stood up and began pacing the room. After taking a deep breath, she kneeled down once again. She was going to try something, that in all honesty, shouldn't work. It was a technique to remove any impurities in the body, but she never tried it on a demon before. She could feel a panic rise in her chest as she thought of the outcome. She sat in the lotus position and began her chant. She could feel the accumulation of her reikai in her palms. Incidentally, that was when the parents decided to peek their heads in. "What are you doing, priestess?" She ignored them and created a barrier between her and the fidgeting parents. "Priestess, I ask again what are you doing?" The panic evident in the mother's voice. "Please...please don't do it. You'll purify her, please don't do it." The mother was throwing herself against the barrier. The smell of her singed fur lingering in the air. It was nothing that would be life threatening, but would hurt.

Kagome continued to ignore them. Her focus was completely on the young girl in front of her. She had to have complete control or she would kill her. Her breathing became labored as she touched the young demon. The child began shrieking. She was thrashing about, but Kagome had the wisdom to restrain her. She knew this was going to be painful. She continued working over the various spots where the young child's skin was peeling. Her reikai was pulling out the dark matter that was restricting the girls healing capabilities. When she was sure that she purged a section, she continued with the rest of the girl's body. Not once did the girl stop screaming. The parents were snarling and cursing. They were telling her all of the obscene things they would do to her once the barrier was gone. Their eyes were on fire with a rage only a parent would know. She sighed.

When she was finished, she let the barrier down. The young girl was immobile. Finally, she quit screaming. Then the parents were on her. They clawed at her, left scratches along her body, and she let it happen. The mother fell into her lap after her energy was exerted and she sobbed. "Why...why did you do this?" She sniffled. The father was bent over the young girl, unmoving. "Kyoko...Kyoko she is breathing." The mother sat up straight. Kagome just smiled at her gently. Kyoko lept from Kagome's lap and engulfed her daughter in a hug. Her breathless cries of relief were soothing. "Ka-san...Ka-san...what's wrong?" The young tanuki asked groggily. Both parents were hugging the girl now. Kagome excused herself from the hut. She had more patients to deal with and now she had a way to fight this accursed illness.

It had taken all day, but for the ones that were left, she removed the blight. She was mentally exhausted. The screams of each patient wearing on her each time she had to conduct her ritual. The cries and screams of the children were the worst. She sighed. Miroku and Inuyasha were helping with corpse disposal of livestock and the burials of the dead. Sango and Shippo had gone out to gather what supplies they could get from the surrounding forest.

She reached her senses out and found a local source of water. She needed to get cleaned up. It was dark out, but she would be fine. She located Inuyasha and let him know where she was headed and he nodded his head. She walked into the forest and took this time to think about what she found out about this illness. Initially, she thought that this was some sort of blight that affected the plant life, and the animals that consumed it, but now it was targeting people, well demons. It reminded her of a plague, but it wasn't affecting any of the humans. It didn't make any sense. Something was very wrong here.

She shakes her head, she needs to get some rest. No point in wasting her energy on these morbid thoughts. She kneels down and cups her hands to catch some water, that's when she notices the figure standing behind her in the water's reflection. Her eyes widen and she spins around ready to attack, but nothing is there. 'What the hell?' It has been a long time since anything had been able to sneak up on her. For the first time in a very long time she felt the sweet pang of fear. Her heart was racing and….and she was excited? She could feel a presence brushing against her aura, and it was sinister, overwhelming almost. She found it hard to breathe.

"Who's there?"

But there was no response, as quickly as the presence had appeared, it vanished. A part of her understood that she should be afraid, and she was, but there was another part of her that welcomed the presence. "What the hell is wrong with me?" She lifts herself up from her kneeled position on the ground and readys herself to get back to the village. She was about to head out of the clearing when a familiar presence made itself known. She stops and looks at the source. "You can show yourself, I know that you are there. No point in hiding, ya know." She could feel her boredom return already. "I would never hide from the likes of you, insufferable wench!"

Kagome, scoffs at the imp. "What do you want Jaken?" The imp grumbles some. "I can't hear you Jaken, speak up." The toad resigns itself, and for the first time she notices how ragged the demon looks. "Jaken, what's wrong. Is it Rin?" The toad looks at her, perplexed. "No human, I was out investigating the reports from this village. I was informed that someone had arrived and was able to get rid of the blight that was affecting the villagers as well. I came to investigate and see if I could procure the aid of said individual." Kagome couldn't help it, this was just too good. She began laughing. "Wench, this is no laughing matter. This blasted plague has entered the palace grounds and My Lord is doing everything in his power to best it. A-Un is withering away and there is nothing stopping this consumption." The toad was breathless after his little rant. Kagome stopped laughing, as funny as she found the situation, she knew that this was serious, and she hated to think that the twin headed dragon was suffering. "Do not trouble yourself, Jaken. I only laugh because the situation is ironic, for me anyways. Take me to the palace, I will try my best to help." The toad began spluttering, "And why exactly would I take you there you idiotic woman." She smiled. "Because, at this point, I'm the only one who can help your beloved Sesshomaru."


End file.
